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Mr. B. Sutherland : The following is a list of articles which Self-Help Co. sells at a lower percent■age of gross profit than any other articles we stock. The profit shown is not greater than can be made by an individual grocer. « 4- i Profit, Profit, Articles. percent. Art,cle ' per Cent. Ammonia (Scrubbs) .. .. ..10-0 Magnesia (Dinnefords) .. .. .. 13-6 Anti-acido .. .. .. .. 9-1 Margarine.. .. .. .. ..9-4 Bengers food .. .. . ■ . • 9*l Marmalade — All Bran .. .. .. .. .. 10 • 5 Golden Shred .. .. .. .. 10 • 4 A. and H. Food .. .. .. ..8-3 Keillers .. .. .. .. 11-6 Evaporated apricots .. .. •• JO-5 Meat extract (C.M.C.) .. .. .. 7*3 Asparagus tips ... .. .. 9-1 Condensed milk and cream .. .. ..10-6 Baking-powder .. .. .. .. 9-8 Mother Seigels syrup .. .. .. 11-3 Black lead .. .. .. 91 Mustard (J's) .. .. .. ..12-1 Bag blue (Reckitts) .. .. .. 9-4 Neaves food .. .. .. ..12-6 Square blue (Reckitts) .. .. .. 91 No Rub laundry help .. .. .. 8-6 Bon Ami cakes .. .. .. •• 11-4 O'Cedar oil .. .. .. .. 12-8 Bovril (2 oz. and 4 oz.) .. .. .. 10-8 Painkiller .. .. .. .. 11-0 Candles .. .. .. .. •• 9-1 Pan Yan pickles .. .. .. ..12-3 Caustic soda (l's) .. .. .. ..10-4 Melhuish's pickles .. .. .. ..12-8 Cheese .. .. •• •• 8-3 Beechams pills .. .. .. ..12-1 Clarke's blood mixture .. .. •• 8-3 Doans pills .. .. .. .. 8-8 Clever Mary .. .. . ■ > • 10• 5 Indian Root pills .. .. .- ..12*2 Brown Barrett's coffee .. .. •• 11-3 Pollard .. .. .. .. .. 12'5 Club coffee .. .. •• ..11-5 Puffed wheat and rice .. .. . ■ 11 •fi Coffee (Tray Bong) .. .. •• 9-5 Lexia raisins (packets) .. .. .. 11-8 Cornflour (B. and P.) .. .. 9-i Newburys rusks (tins) .. .. .. 9-1 Cornflour, loose .. .. ■. .. 10 • 8 Salmon .. .. .. . . • • 9-7 Coffee and milk .. .. ~ ..10-3 Safety matches .. .. .. ..12-5 Cordials (Crescent) .. •• ..12-5 Salt (Cerebos) .. .. .. 10'1 Cornflakes .. .. •• 10-5 Sardines (X Fish) .. .. .. .. 11-1 Cream of tartar .. .. .. .: 10-3 Tomato sauce (8.8.'5) .. .. .. 9-3 Foster Clarkes custard powder .. .. 8-6 Sauce (L. and P.) .. .. .. 11 0 Self-Help custard powder .. . . • • 11-3 Self-Help toilet soap .. .. .. 9-0 Ovoline egg-preserver .. .. 9-7 Cuticura soap .. .. .. 11-5 Elliman's embrocation .. .. •. 11-9 Lifebuoy soap .. .. .. 10-4 Enos fruit salt .. .. .. ■■ 12-4 Sunlight .. .. .. .. ..8-8 Waxeesi floor polish .. .. .. 11-6 Soups— Canned fruits .. .. .. •• 9-7 (" K") .. .. .. .. 10-3 Davis gelatine .. • • • • . . 11 • 3 Self-Help .. .. .. .. 10• 3 Preserved ginger .. .. •• 11 ■ 2 Starch (Colman s) .. .. . . . ■ 11*1 G)axo .. .. .. . . ..11-1 Steedmans soothing-powders .. . . 12-9 Grape-nuts .. •• ■■ 11*6 Doctors China tea .. .. .. ..10-8 Heenzo .. .. • • • • .. 10 • 2 Desert Gold tea .. .. .. ..11-5 Celery salt .. .. •• H'4 Roma tea .. .. .. .. 9-9 Heinz spaghetti .. .. . • •• 7-3 Tliree-in-One oil .. .. .. ..11-9 Heinz vinegar .. .. • • • • 9-6 Vinegar—Herrings in sauce .. .. .. ..10-5 Champion .. .. .. ..10*7 Herrings, kippered .. ■■ ..10-0 Sugar .. .. .. .. ..12-2 Jam (" K") .. •• •• •• 9-1 Westfield preserved meats .. .. ..10-7 Kerosene (bottled) .. . . . • .. 11 • 6 Wheat .. .. .. ■ . •. 9-1 Knife powder (Oakeys) .. .. ..10-7 Writing-pads .. .. .. ..10-0 Kruschen salts •• •• •• 9-5 Sugar (averagingfour bags loose to one single bag) 8-3 Lentils .. .. • • • • 14-0 Rice .. .. .. .. ..11-7 Loaf sugar .. .. •• •• H I Flour .. .. .. .. .. 8-8 Mr. B. Sutherland : I have made that clear : that these are the articles which we stock and which are sold at a lower percentage of gross profit than any other articles we stock. They carry the lowest rate of profit —that is, " on cost " of all the list we stock. Mr. O'Leary.] That is the usual, whether you are a price cutter or not ? Yes. The lowest is Heinz spaghetti (7.3), and for the C.M.C. (7.3 per cent.). Yes, they are the lowest; there is a meat-extract which carries a bigger profit. Mr. Ansell.] This is the least profit, of course ? Yes. I would like to explain the last three items —" Sugar, averaging four bags loose to one single bag." We found out by what quantities they sell by the bag and what quantities are sold in broken lots. Mr. O'Leary.] You sell four bags loose to one whole bag ? Yes. In regard to flour we find out what quantities they sell. It is the same. Mr. Harris.] Made up in pounds and so forth ? Yes, and on the sugar we include the cost of the bags. After paying for the cost of the bags we make 8.3 in sugar and 8.8 in flour. These are the profits we made in Timaru for the month of August; we have just checked up the figures. That contradicts Mr. Nome's statement that sugar and flour-are sold at cost down there. Since leaving here we checked up our selling and cost prices at Timaru. We buy exactly the same as he does, and on one cost we made the sugar 8.3 and the flour 8.8. The representative of the Board of Trade is here and he can check the figures, which will be available to him this afternoon. Mr. B. Sutherland : The next is a list of overhead for the whole of the Self-Help throughout New Zealand. It totals to 7.7 —that is not on cost, that is on turnover. The profits on our lists of articles were worked out "on cost." I have explained it so you will understand and perhaps we may take it as read.

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